San Diego, California - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is recruiting applicants for the Natural Resource Volunteer Program (NRVP) to serve in Southern California.

The NRVP provides conservation education through public service, while enlisting biological, enforcement and administrative staff support to CDFW’s mission.

CDFW’s next volunteer training academy will be held in Southern California on the following dates:

  • San Diego, April 6-10
  • Ontario, April 20-24
  • Los Alamitos, April 27-May 8

San Diego and Ontario locations are running shorter academies (less than 40 hours) with remaining of training to occur while employed. Los Alamitos will be running a full two-week academy with 80 hours.

Interview dates will be announced after completion of application process. The selection process includes an initial screening, application review and a background check. Selected participants will attend a three-day training academy. An additional eight hour training day each month through the course of a seven month probationary period will prepare volunteers for a monthly service commitment of at least 16 hours.

Applicants should have basic computer and writing skills as well as a willingness to talk about conservation principles in the field or classroom settings. Applicants must also show a desire to work well with others in a team environment.

Volunteers have no law enforcement authority and are trained to be educational ambassadors for the department. They will participate in a variety of activities, including responding to human/wildlife incident calls, instructing at NRVP academies, representing CDFW at community outreach events and disseminating useful information to the public at CDFW lands, ecological reserves and fishing areas.

Please contact Lt. Kent Smirl at 714-448-4218 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about how to submit an application.